Wire-stretcher.



C. N. EDWARDS.

WIRE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. 1915.

l 160,056. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

' COLUMBIA PUNOGIAPH COuWASHI-NGTON, D. c.

C. N. EDWARDS.

WIRE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. 1915.

1, 1 60,05. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- 0. AZEdM/Wdr.

COLUMBIA PLANOORIAPH lo-,WASHINU'ION, D. C.

CLE'MMENT N. EDWARDS, OF I-IILLSBORO, OHIO, ASSIGNGR 0F GNE-HALF T0 \VILSON SHANNON EDWARDS, 0F

WINCHESTER, OHIO.

WIBE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1.915.

Application filed May 8. 1915. Serial No. 26,823.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLEMMENT N. Flo- WARDS, a citizen of the United States residing at Hillsboro, in the county of Highland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVire-Stretchers; and I do hereb I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

I This invention is an improved wlrc stretcher for use in constructing and repairing wire fences, and for other analogous uses, an object of the invention be ing to provide an improved machine of this kind which is cheap and simple, is light and portable, which may be readily set up and arranged for use, and by means of which fence wire, and other like material may be readily and quickly stretched. I

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings ;Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wire fence stretcher constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the same set up and arranged for use. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. e is a vertical sectional View of the same on the plane indicated by the line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of the bearing and guide plate. Fig- 6 is a similar view of the stretcher head. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the inner end of the supporting and guide bar. Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of the stub shaft.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide a suporting and guide bore 1, which is here shown as a tube and may in practice be a suitable length of iron gas or water pipe. Near the inner end of this supporting and guide bar is a cross bolt 2 which has eyes 3 at its ends to which chains 4 are attached, the said chains being adapted for use in securing the inner end of said supporting and guide bar to a fence post or other suitable object, as shown at A in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The outer end of the supporting and guide bar is secured by a cross pin 5 in a socket 6 which is formed on the inner side of a bearing and guide plate 7. Said bearing and guide plate is preferably, in practice, a casting, and may be very cheaply manufactured. The said supporting and guide bar also passes through an opening in a substantially triangular block 8 which is secured as at 9 between the upper ends of a pair of inclined upwardly converging standards or supporting legs 10. These standards or supporting legs are connected together at a point a suitable distance from their upper ends by a yoke or cross bar 11 the central portion of which is secured to the rear side of the bearing and guide plate. A stud bolt 12 forms the stub shaft for a gear wheel 13. The shoulder 14 of said stud bolt or stub shaft is fitted in a counter-bore 15 in the front side and near the lower end of the bearing and guide plate, the threaded shank 16 of said stud bolt passing through an opening in thebearing and guide plate and being secured in place by a nut 17. The gear 13 is provided with a crank 18 whereby it may be manually turned. The block 8 is secured between the upper ends of the standards 10 by a bolt 19 which also passes through the tubular supporting and guide bar 1 and to the ends of which are attached the upper ends of a pair of anchoring chains 20 the lower ends of which have hooks 21 for engagement with anchoring stakes 22 driven in the ground.

A block 23 is secured on the supporting and guide bar at a point intermediate the ends of the latter, by a pin 24:, said block having an opening near its lower end through which the supporting and guide bar passes, and in the upper end of said block is a bearing 25 for the inner end of a screw shaft 26, said screw shaft having a bearing 27 near its outer end in the upper portion of the bearing and guide plate 7 and being provided at its front end with a gear wheel 28 which engages the gear 12. The said. plate 7 has a guide slot 29 in its upper end.

A traveler block 30 is arranged for longitudinal movement on the supporting and guide bar, has an opening near its lower end through which said bar 1 passes and is also provided with a threaded opening through Which the screw shaft passes and engages. The lower opening is indicated at 31 and the threaded opening at 32. In the upper end of the block 30, which is movable longitudinally on the bar 1 by the screw shaft 26, as will be understood, is a recess or slot 34c for the reception of a stretcher chain 35, one

link of which is engaged by a bolt 36 and thereby secured to said traveling block. The stretcher chain is slidably arranged in the slot 29 of the plate 7 and one end thereof is passed around and connected to a pair of clamping bars 37 which are clamped together and on wires or fabric by T-bolts 38 and the opposing sides of which have inter-engaging corrugations 89, to prevent the fence Wires or fabric from slipping. 7

It will be understood that when the ma.- chine has been thus set-up andarranged it is only necessary to turn the crank 18 in the required direction to cause the screw shaft 26 to move the block 30 downwardly and thereby cause the chain 35 to draw on and stretch the'fence wires or fence wire fabric as desired.

Having thus described my invention I claim i 1. A fence wire stretcher of the class described comprising a supporting and guide bar, means to attach the inner end thereof to an anchoring device, a support for the outer end of said bar, plate attached to said bar a. stub shaft on said bearing and guide plate, a gear mounted on said stub shaft, and having va crank, a block attached to the supporting and guide bar, extending upwardly therefrom and having a bearing, a screw shaft having its inner end mounted in said bearing and also having a bearing in said bearing and guide plate and provided at its opposite sides of the fence a bearmg'and guide and sald support,

front end with a gear which engages the first 4, mentioned gear, and a traveler block slidably mounted on the supporting and guide bar, having a threaded opening engaged by said screw shaft and also having means for attachment of a stretcher chain thereto.

2. A wire fence stretcher of the class described comprising a supporting and guide bearing, a block secured thereto near its. front end, a pair of supporting; legs secured to opposite sides of said block, a yoke con necting said supporting legs, a bearing and guide plate secured to the front end of. said bar and provided with a stub shaft, a gear mounted on said stub shaft and having a crank, a block secured to the supporting and guide bar, a screw shaft having its inner end mounted and bearing in said block, said screw shaft being also mounted for rotation in said bearing and guide plate andbeing provided at its front end with a gear engaging the first named gear, a traveling block slidably mounted on said supporting and guide bar, having a threaded opening engaged bysaidscrew shaft and also provided with means for the attachment of a stretcher chain thereto. f

In testimonv whereof I afiix my signature in presence two witnesses.

' 1 his CLEMMENT N. X EDWARDS. mark W itnesses:

CHAS. MCCONNAUGHEY, ROLAND RoenRs.

Copies of this patent may. be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

